~Such natural potential~
I know, I know. I abandoned the online world for over a week without so much as a decent explanation or goodbye. I could say I was forced to take an emergency fly fishing trip to New Zealand or that I was kidnapped and forced to fly fish in Montana for a week, but wishful thinking could be construed as a fishing tale and I would never do such a thing on a fishing blog…..you know, spray paint reality with fanciful daydreams.
The boring version reads like this… I was moving homes. That is, moving homes during the coldest days on record in over 10 years in my little city. It was a miserable experience to put it in G-rated terms and I would not recommend moving in zero degree temps to anyone.
Why is it that I can go fishing during a nasty storm, freeze my arse off, subject my fingers and toes to frostbite and still have a great, albeit uncomfortable, time? Or why can I go hunting in sub-zero temps where I think my toes will never thaw out and I’m certain my eyeballs have frozen to the inside of my eyelids, but by gawd, I still sign up for another round each year because it was so enjoyable? Moving does not fall under the same umbrella of ignorable misery.
Now, usually when people move into a new house the family members might barter for certain furniture or fight over the biggest rooms. With this new home the huge debate hovers over a bonus located in the backyard. There are some people in my home, I shall call them – kids– who call said bonus a “swimming pool!!” while someone else –that would be me– has christened the blue hole that happens to have a slide and diving board, “the future cement trout pond of Rebecca Anne.”
My daughters are not amused by my stroke of brilliant fishing genius which is a bit of a road block to my swanky idea. I even mentioned that trout are basically harmless and surely the daughters and fish could co-splash in the same body of water, but that was met with typical eye rolls and exasperated sighs. I don’t get it……..teenagers these days totally lack imagination!
I may not win the debate about turning the swimming pool into a trout pond, but as a Mother I reserve the right to annoy and torment my daughters as often as possible. I see dry fly practice across the top water, nymph testing under the water and various other lure experiments happening in my backyard in the near future.
I may even put on my waders before I wander out back, just to ensure my daughters think I’m the wackiest fisherman they ever encountered~
Rebecca
~Testing out the casting perch~
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Ignore the kids and go with the trout pond.
They have swimming pools in that neck of the woods? Hot tubs sure, but swimming pools?
Ah, messing with one’s kids – one of the great rewards of being a parent. I recommend going with your idea, but maybe consider a bass pond, since trout will suffer from lack of oxygenated water during the hot months. Or if you want to make it really interesting for swimmers, toss in some pike.
Enjoy the new home and cement pond!
I think it’s a great idea to have a trout pond in the back yard it might be easier to take care of then a swimming pool. I can’t wait until my boys are old enough for me to torment. It’s too bad you had to move in the cold weather moving isn’t fun in the first place then add the 0 temp blah! Well hope you enjoy the new home.
Wow, a trout pond with an elevated casting deck. Who could ask for more. Ignore the kids, go for trout.
Mark
FINALLY!!!! A new post!
This is quite humorous. i used to test new fly patterns in the pool at the old house, so i know what you mean about it….it was a salt system, so i’m sure the snook would have been quite comfortable….LOL!
BTW, i moved house the same day as you and as you know, my writing and blogging quality suffered. Still don’t have internet at home.
Rob
I’m with Kirk – go with Pike. And plant weeds so they have somewhere to hide and ambush the neighbor kids.
Wolfy
Jealous. I would kill to have that kind of fly pattern testing facility in my backyard. Instead, I stuck with pine trees and pleny of shade. No room for casting demonstrations. I say go ahead and practice, if a child gets in the way, then should’ve watched your backcast.
Look at all this cement Trout Pond wisdom!! Thank you everyone for your support. I may need to print off your votes and ideas (comments) to present to a round table discussion here at the house. I’m sure teenage daughters would listen
to all this sound advice…….if not, I could throw in some pike or other fish with big teeth and see how they like that sort of surprise in the pool. If I can’t convince them, maybe I can scare the hell out of them~
Sorry but I still say a pool is a pool, not a place to fish. I you really want your fishing spot mom, just build yourself a pond. I shall keep the pool. Agreed? That way we would both be happy.
~K
Ok, Kaitlyn, here’s the way it should go. You’re right, the pool is no place to keep trout. However, it appears to have excellent back space and therefore would make an excellent casting pond. Clearly, it should be used for that purpose. Just think of how much you and your mother could improve your casting skills with all of that water to practice your roll cast on.
As for moving, I’m getting ready to do that, Rebecca. I think I’ve found the solution. I’m just giving all my stuff away. No way I’m gonna move all that. Hello Salvation Army, goodbye dining room table. I never liked it that much anyway. That’s probably why the ex left it with me. Then just throw what’s left in the back seat of the car and drive on over to the new place.